Selector switch provided with selectably actuable contact means



April 1969 R. M. CARLISLE ETAL 3,436,696

SELECTOR SWITCH PROVIDED WITH SELECTABLY ACTUABLE CONTACT MEANS Filed Aug. 21, 1964 Sheet of 18 INVENTOR. RAvMouP Mew: (Anusfi wmmuu \JARRnu L6:

April 1,v 1969 R. 'M. CARLISLE ETAL 3,435,695

SELECTOR SWITCH PROVIDED WITH SELECTABLY ACTUABLE CONTACT MEANS Filed Au'g- 21, 1964 Sheet 2 of 18 INVENTOR.

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SELECTOR swwcn PROVIDED WITH SELECTABLY ACTUABLE CONTACT MEANS Filed Aug. 21, 1964 Sheet 7 of 18 April 1969 R. M. CAR-LISLE ETAL 3,436,696

SELECTOR SWITCH PROVIDED WITH SELECTABLY ACTUABLE CONTACT MEANS Sheet Filed Aug. 21, 1964 INVENTOR. RAYMOND Mam/m CAnusL: WI Ill-D M/mnuu L %?w April 1969 R. MCARLISLE ETAL 3,436,696

SELECTOR SWITCH PROVIDED WITH SELECTABLY ACTUABLE CONTACT MEANS April 1, 1969 'R. M. CARLISLE ETAL 3,436,696

SELECTOR SWITCH PROVIDED WITH SELEGTABLY ACTUABLE CONTACT MEANS Filed Aug. 21, 1964 Sheet 4? of 1s 237-! um M4,). M54.

IN VEN'TOR.

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SELECTOR SWITCH PROVIDED WITH SELECTABLY ACTUABLE CONTACT MEANS Filed Aug. '21, 1964 Sheet /7 of 18 I I 3!? 5 i R AMP M5 3 a1: an [52 Mug- 17o 30a 30a 3? 3!? 314' am Jr mvem R a 310 J FF Asz. 5 AMP l 1 l SIB I l INVENTOR.

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United States Patent 3,436 696 SELECTOR SWITCH PRGVIDED WITH SELECT- ABLY ACTUABLE CONTACT MEANS Raymond Melvin Carlisle, Linglestown, and Winfield Warren Loose, Reading, Pa., assignors to AMP Incorporated, Harrisburg, Pa.

Filed Aug. 21, 1964, Ser. No. 391,192

Int. Cl. H01h 67/02; G061? 7/02 U.S. Cl. 335106 16 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A selector switch or multi-circuit connector which comprises frame means on which a plurality of contactcarrying means is disposed side by side. A plurality of conductive means is disposed adjacent the contact-carrying means with each of the contact-carrying means having a plurality of movable contact means. Each of the movable contact means is in alignment with respective conductive means and conductor means is located on each of the contact-carrying means and adapted to be engaged by the contact means. Carriage means is mounted on the frame means with driving means associated with the contact-carrying means and the carriage means to drive one thereof relative to the other to pre-selected positions. Contact movable means is located on the carriage means for engaging selected contact means when the carriage means is opposite selected contact-carrying means to move the selected contact means into engagement with the conductor and conductive means to interconnect same.

This invention relates to programming means for connecting a number of input leads to a number of output leads in a preselected manner and system thereof.

In the field of computers and the like, an essential feature thereof is the programming therefor in order to provide the necessary information by which the computer will operate. A large amount of time is consumed in establishing the program of information to be fed to a computer since the general manner for establishing a program is effected by the manipulation of manual switches capable of making or breaking contact paths formed in desired patterns by patchcord assemblies. The fundamental drawback of this type of programming system is that it is totally manual and cannot, therefore. be programmed automatically to establish a desired program. An additional drawback of the patchcord assemblies for computers is that it is not suitable for remote programming.

Moreover, due to the increasing use of automation of different types of mechanisms by business and industry, a great need and demand has arisen for simple, effective and reliable programming means because a programming means is generally essential in automatic control systems where a number of operations are to be successively performed.

Various types of automatic programming devices have heretofore been devised to effect successive operations of automatic control systems but these have not proved satisfactory for various and sundry reasons, such as, for example: too cumbersome, lack of providing adequate program positions, reliability is questionable, etc.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a programming means that is highly flexible and has excellent reliability.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a programming means for automatically and sequentially establishing programs for use by automatic control equipment.

A further object of the present invention is to provide 3,436,696 Patented Apr. 1, 1969 a programming means for remotely establishing sequential programs for use by automatic control systems.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a programming means capable of being operated by a tape reader, card reader, push-button and/or switch panel, or the like.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a storage means for use, for example, as binary information.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a multi-circuit electrical connector means.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a programming means, storage means, connector means, or the like, which has a fast response, is easy to manufacture and has a low manufacturing cost.

Other objects and attainments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings in Which there are shown and described illustrative embodiments of the invention; it is to be understood, however, that these embodiments are not intended to be exhaustive nor limiting of the invention but are given for purposes of illustration and principles thereof and the manner of applying them in practical use so that they may modify them in various forms, each as may be best suited to the conditions of a particular use.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the programming means;

FIGURE 2 is a part cross-sectional and elevational view of the programming means;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view similar to FIGURE 1 in skeleton form;

FIGURE 4 is a diagrammatic view of the programming means;

FIGURE 5a is a plan view of the carriage position encoder;

FIGURE 5b is a partial plan view of the driving ring;

FIGURE 6 is a top plan view of the carriage-moving and locking means;

FIGURE 7 is a bottom plan view of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a partial side elevational and part crosssectional view of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8a is a partial plan view illustrating the movement of a driving member;

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of the clearing means;

FIGURE 10 is a perspective and part cross-sectional view of a contact-carrying means;

FIGURE 11 is a perspective view of a contact means;

FIGURE 12 is a block diagram of the control circuit means for the programming means;

FIGURE 13 is a block diagram of a complement generator;

FIGURE 14 is a schematic diagram of one module of FIGURE 13;

FIGURE 15 is a block diagram of a command detector circuit;

FIGURE 16 is a coding chart for connection of the modules to the output of the complement generator;

FIGURE 17 is a block diagram of a shift register;

FIGURE 18 is a block diagram of a comparator circuit;

FIGURE 19 is a block diagram of one module of FIGURE 18;

FIGURE 20 is a block diagram of an alternative comparator circuit;

FIGURE 21 is a schematic diagram of a module of FIGURE 20;

FIGURE 21a is a schematic diagram of a circuit for a polarized relay for use in place of the reed relays of FIGURE 21;

'FIGURE 22 is a block diagram of a motor control circuit;

. FIGURE 23 is a block diagram of a bus decoder circuit;

FIGURE 24 is a block diagram of an exclusive clear and mass clear circuit;

FIGURE 25 is a vertical cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the programming means;

FIGURE 26 is a perspective view of the clearing means of FIGURE 25;

FIGURE 27 is a partial plan view of another embodiment of the programming means;

FIGURE 28 is a view taken along lines 28-28 of FIGURE 27; and

FIGURE 29 is a block diagram of an alternative motor control circuit for use with FIGURES 27 and 28.

Turning now to the drawings, and more particularly, FIGURES l-4, there is shown a mounting base B having a plurality of contact-carrying means C mounted on the base and a movable carriage means MC also mounted on base B and movable relative thereto and contactcarrying means C as well as movable exteriorly of the contact-carrying means.

Base B comprises a base plate 1 having a channel 2 aflixed thereto by screws 3, or the like. Channel 2 is disposed proximate the periphery of base plate 1. An opening 4 is located at the center of base plate 1. A circular plate 5, which is Z-shaped in cross-section, has one section 6 secured to base plate 1 by screws 7 at opening 4, another section 8 overlying opening 4 and a further section 9 extending parallel to the axis of base plate 1.

A tubular member 10 has one end disposed on section 6 and is secured thereto as by screws by circular plate 11. A contact-carrying circular plate 12 is affixed to plate 11 by screws 13. Slots 14 are provided in the outer part of plate 12 and they are equidistantly disposed therearound.

Section 9 has an abutting surface 15 against which the outer race of bearing means 16 engages. A C-shaped locking member 17 is disposed in a slot 18 in section 9 to secure bearing means 16 against surface .15. One end of shaft 19 is afiixed to bearing means 16 while the other end is affixed to another bearing means 20 which, in turn, engages a shoulder 21 of a nut member 22. Bearing means 20 is held in engagement with shoulder 21 via a C-shaped locking member 23 disposed in a slot 24 of nut member 22.

One end of flange bushing 25 is threaded and engaged by nut member 22 while the other end is secured to a section of plate 26 by screws 27. Nut member 22 is locked into position on the threaded end of bushing 25 by means of a nylon slug preferably disposed in the threaded area of nut member 22. Of course, other means to secure the nut member in place can be visualized.

The other end of tubular member 10 is secured to plate 26 by screws. A circular plate 28 is affixed to plate 26 via screws 29 and includes equidistantly spaced slots 30 at the outer end thereof. Midway of tubular member 10 a ring 31 is secured thereto as by screws, and on the end of ring 31 adjacent the center is a circular stabilization ring 32 which is afiixed to ring 31 via screws 33. Slots 34 are equidistantly disposed along the outer end of ring 32.

Whereas elements 1, 2 and 5 have been disclosed as being separate elements, it is to be understood they may be a unitary structure. The same is true with regard to elements 10, 11, 25, 26 and 31.

Movable carriage means MC comprises a U-shaped member 35 having edges 36 turned outwardly. The sides of member 35 extend parallel to the axis of shaft 19 and the end interconnecting these sides is perpendicular thereto. Another U-shaped member 37 extends parallel to the end of member 35 and is connected to edges 36 by means of rivets 38 or the like. One end of member 37 has an upwardly-directed projection 39 while the other end has a U-shaped element 40 secured to upwardly-directed sections of member 37 via rivets 41. Oblong openings 42 are disposed in element 40 and member 37. Members 35 4 and 37 have holes 43 and 44, respectively, therein coaxial with shaft 19.

A circular spacer element 45 has one flange 46 secured to member 37 via rivets 47 and another flange 48 secured between member 35 and a flange 49 of a bushing 50 via rivets '51. Bushing 50 is secured to shaft 19 by a set screw 52.

Each side of member 35 has rows of apertures 53 wherein the apertures in one row are offset with respect to the apertures in the other rows. The bottom of each side of member 35 contains an extension 54 having a shaft 55 secured thereto which extends into channel 2. A hearing means 56 is afiixed to shaft 55 and bears on the sides of channel 2 in order to stabilize the movable carriage.

A mounting strip 57 is mounted on each side of mem ber 35 over each row of apertures 53 via screws 58. Threaded holes 59 are disposed in strip 57 in correspondence with each of the apertures in each row. A solenoid 60 is threadably mounted in each threaded hole 59 and locked therein via a locking nut 61. Armature 62 of each solenoid is directed inwardly toward shaft 1 9 and is spring-biased to maintain it in a normally inoperative position within the coil of the solenoid.

An annular carriage position encoder 61a is disposed on circular plate 28 and is secured thereon via screws through holes 62a located adjacent the inner periphery of encoder 61a (see FIGURE 5a). Carriage position encoder 61a is made of a suitable insulating material, such as, plastic and has printed thereon a printed circuit 63 which defines a code in order to position the movable carriage means as will be explained hereafter. Brushes 64 are mounted on the underneath side of member 35 overlying encoder 61a and in engagement with the part thereof containing the printed circuit.

A driving ring 65 is also mounted on plate 28 outwardly from encoder-61a and is aifixed thereto via screws 66. Teeth 67 extend upwardly from and completely around the outer part of ring 65 (see FIGURE 5b).

This driving ring is preferably made of a suitable plastic material. The outer edge of ring 65 is located just short of the inner end of slots 30.

The carriage-moving and locking means CML, as shown in FIGURES 68, is mounted on the end of member 35 beneath element 40. Carriage-moving and locking means CML comprises a plate 68 having holes 69 disposed in the outer ends of legs 70 through which screws pass in order to mount the carriage-moving and locking means on member 35. At the inner end of each leg 70, there is located an outwardly-directed extension 71 which contains a threaded hole therethrough. A solenoid 72 is threadably disposed in the threaded hole of each extension 71 and is locked thereon via a locking nut 73. Armatures 74 of the solenoids are spring-biased in a normally inoperative position as indicated in FIGURES 6-8.

Pins 75 are disposed in plate 68 and extend outwardly from the bottom surface thereof along with inclined projections 76 and 77 which are spaced from each other. Engaging surfaces 78 and cam surfaces 79 also extend outwardly from the bottom surface of plate 68. Driving members 80 are disposed along the bottom surface of plate 68. Each driving member comprises an oblong slot 81 in one end through which one of pins 75 extends, a camming surface 82 disposed opposite cam surface 79, an extension 83, driving teeth 84 and another extension 85 overlying 'but not engaging one of legs 70 and which has an engaging section 86 extending outwardly therefrom in alignment with the forward part of one of armatures 74.

A pin 87 is located on each driving member and has one end of a spring means 88 connected thereto while the other end of the spring means is connected to member 35. Another spring means 89 has the ends thereof connected to the driving teeth. Both of these spring means maintain the driving members in their normally inoperative positions against pins 75 and against engaging surfaces 

